Piper PA 28-161 N8466G

Summary

On 2 February 2016 at about 16:34 local time, a Piper PA 28-161 registered N8466G, operated by Airborne Career Academy, was involved in an accident near Miami, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 February 2016 at 16:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Miami, Florida, United States

Coordinates

25.9008, -80.1211

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-161

Registration

N8466G

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Airborne Career Academy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marathon → Ft. Lauderdale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA103

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have contributed to the power loss.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was flying over the ocean and just off the coast when an air traffic controller asked him to descend to 500 ft. The pilot reduced engine power and applied carburetor heat until he reached the assigned altitude, and he then attempted to increase engine power and level off; however, even with the throttle full forward, the engine power remained at its previous setting. The pilot attempted to resolve the situation, but he was unable to maintain altitude and ditched the airplane in the ocean Although weather conditions were conducive to serious icing at glide power, the pilot had applied carburetor heat during the descent which should have melted any carburetor ice during the descent. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The cause for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.